The parking lots of Miller Park now have plenty of neighbors. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Three industrial projects are moving forward. Rishi Tea is building a new facility, just north of the recently completed Ahern facility. Solaris is negotiating the final details of their facility and will begin construction soon in the northwest corner of the valley, just east of the Miller Park parking lots. Lakefront Brewery is working on initial plans for a new brewery between the We Energies coal (soon to be natural gas) power plant and Harley Davidson Museum.

The three projects are yet another chapter in a great Milwaukee success story. What once was a post-apocalyptic wasteland with an underwhelming baseball stadium (and team for much of that time) has risen like a phoenix to become an industrial hub for the city and region. Easily accessible jobs at all skill levels are available thanks to a public-private partnership that is a Midwestern marvel. It’s virtually unheard of to find another city that has taken their largest brownfield and turned it not only into a jobs hub (more than 1,000 and counting), but incorporated a well-used recreational trail, large new park and multiple entertainment venues.

Rishi Tea’s facility will be 50,000 square-feet when completed, and enable to the company to continue their 10 percent annual growth rate. The company hopes to hire at least 20 new people over the next five years. Solaris is relocating to Milwaukee from West Allis (the former Allis Chalmers facility), and will be building a 70,000 square-feet facility. The firm, which makes medical compression garments, intends to add 30 employees over the next two years. Lakefront Brewery plans to build a new flagship facility ranging from 70,000 to 100,000 square-feet, while maintaining their existing facility. Its project is being led by Craft Development, a new real estate firm led by Dan Katt.

And if you’re still not convinced about the flow of money and jobs into the Menomonee Valley, you can also view our photo gallery of the nearly complete Potawatomi Hotel.